Kyaw Kyaw, frontman of Myanmar punk band Rebel Riot, has teamed up with UK outfit Throwing Stuff for a new single to raise money for his charity Food Not Bombs Myanmar as well as Black Lives Matter UK.
The track ACIYHAB, which stands for “all coppers inside your head are bastards,” is available as a pay-what-you-want song through online music company Bandcamp, which has also waived its revenue share for today (August 7) from each purchase to support artists.
The single was recorded in Manchester, UK, and Yangon, the current home of Throwing Stuff vocalist Ben Small. It is about police control of people the force considers a “threat to the status quo,” he said.
"Police violence restricts civil liberties, stokes fear and ultimately threatens the lives of individuals. The song talks about destroying the policeman 'inside your head' to release society from these shackles, but we know he can't be destroyed without a dramatic overhaul of this arm of the state," the band stated in a press release. "Restrictions on police powers, justice for victims of police brutality and the effective defunding of the police are needed now the world over to make this a reality."
Kyaw Kyaw is no stranger to police misconduct; last November he was arrested by allegedly drunk officers during a festival in Yangon. The local punks are well known for their altruistic work, which includes distributing free clothes, teaching children in the countryside and—most recently—donating food and drink during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We were so happy we could make this work despite the more than 5,000 miles that divides Yangon and Manchester,” said Small. “For Kyaw Kyaw to be so enthusiastic about lending us his voice was the icing on the cake too, giving an extra layer of meaning to all that distance.”
ACIYHAB is Throwing Stuff's first release since its 2017 debut Fit, Fine and Well, and it picks up where they left off with an explosive and hostile brand of hardcore punk reminiscent of the fast and no-frills sound of Minor Threat and early Black Flag.
Throwing Stuff will be splitting all proceeds from the song between Black Lives Matter UK and Food Not Bombs Myanmar, and the band members have promised to match the donations.
Download the song at Throwing Stuff's Bandcamp page.
